Portable heater



Nov. 15, 1932. A. M. PETERSON PORTABLE HEATER Filed Nov 22, 1950 WMM/we Patented N ov. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES AXEL M. PETERSON, OF ONAMIA, MINNESOTA PORTABLE HEATER Application iled November 22, 1930. Serial N0. 497,394.

This invention relates to portable heaters especially adapted for heating the crank case of an automobile in a garage or when the same is parked. n

It is an object of my invention to provide an extremely simple but highly efliclent portable heater which is supported from the floor or ground and which may be readily positioned beneath a crank case and projected upwardly to receive and surround a portion of the crank case, particularly the bottom adjacent the sump to heat and liquefy the oil and facilitate the starting of the motor.

More specifically it is an object to provide an efficient heater of the class described having an elongated handle by which the heater proper may be readily slid or moved to position below a crank case and by which moreover the heater proper may be projected upwardly into close contact with the sump portion of the crank case and maintained in operative heating position.

Still a further object is to provide a simple, inexpensive electric heater of the reflector type especially adapted for efliciently heating the bottom of an automobile crank case and readily convertible into an ornate reflector heater for domestic use by the re- 0 moval of one or two parts.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection r with the accompanying drawing, in which 3 like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section showing an embodiment of my invention, certain of the dotted lines indicating the operative and raised positions of the parts and other of the dotted lines indicating the bottom of an automobile crank case;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the manner in which the reiector and heater casing are adjustably secured to the upper end of the o short supporting post.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated ak short pedestal or support is provided having a base 4 of substantial area and a vertical sleeve 5 projecting axially and upwardly therefrom.

A short supporting post 6 is slidably mounted in sleeve 5 and as shown has a flat attachment head 6a to which my heater proper is adjustably secured.

he heater proper comprises, as shown, a concavo-convex reliector 7 having axially disposed therein an electrical socket which is housed by a cap or boss 7a. An electrical heating element 8 of conventional type is detachably connected with said socket and in the form shown projects upward axially of reflector 7. The said electrical socket is supplied by means of a iexible extension cord X having electric service wires therein, which cord may be connected with a conventional outlet plug of the household source of electricity. Heating element 8 may comprise a cylindrical core upon which a nichrome wire or other resistant element is spirally wound. The reflector' shell 7, as shown, is provided with an attachment flange TZ) to which a shallow heater casing 9 is detachably secured. The heater casing may simply telescope within flange 7b or any suitable readily detachable means may be provided for securing the parts together. I prefer to provide a protective grating l0 traversing the open side of the reiiector and disposed above the heating element 8 and centrally of said grating a protective disk ll may be mountedV directly overlying the upper end of heating element 8 and of considerably greater diameter to prevent oil and moisture from dropping upon the heating element when the device is in operation.

The reflector shell 7 is secured to the attachment head 6a of the supporting post by any suitable means preferably a clamp or bracket permitting a relative tilting of the reflector on a horizontal axis. To this end I have provided a depending bifurcated bracket l2 riveted or otherwise secured to the exterior of reflector 7 and straddling the flat attachment head 6a. A clamping bolt 13 extends through the bifurcated ends of the bracket and attachment head 6a may be provided with a wing clamping nut 13a.

An elongated handle or lever 14 is detachably connected with the supporting pedestal 5 for handling and manipulating the device and for also projecting or raising the supporting post 6 and heater proper into operative heating position. In the embodiment illustrated the vertical sleeve 5 of the pedestal is provided with a narrow vertical slot 5a communicating with the hollow interior thereof and defined preferably by an arcuate edge 5b at its innermost portion. As shown a horizontal slot 4a is provided in the base ,4, said last mentioned slot lying in the same vertical plane as the slot 5a and being substantially a continuation of slot 5a.y The lever lt has a working end 14a which is angled slightly relative to the main or handle 2o portion thereof and which has a lower straight edge 14?) disposed substantially horizontallyv when the heater proper is disposed in lowered position. A rectangular shoulder 140 is formed in the outer and lower portion of the working end 14a and constitutes a fulcrum for the lever as well as a retaining element for detachably connecting the lever with the pedestal. The vextremity of the working end 14a of the lever is positioned directly below the lower end of supporting post 6. f

In operation for heating an automobile crank case the reflector 7 is secured in the horizontal position shown in the drawing by means of a clamping device 13 and 13a and the shallow heaterV casing 9 is attached to the flange of the reflector. The handle or lever 1li is positioned in the raised position shown in Fig. l and the pedestal may be easily slid beneath the crank case of'an automobile by the lever. When the heater casing is disposed directly beneath the sump portion of the crank case, handle 14 is dropped or swung downwardly thereby operating as a lever to raise post 6 causing the heater casing to receive and clamp against a considerable portion of the crank case. The heat furnished by the heating element 8 is radiated and refiected against the crank case and 50 convection currents are also present, quickly liquefying the congealed oil and facilitating the starting of the motor in cold weather as well as preventing crank case oil dilution due to excessive use of the motor choke and also effecting a considerable saving upon the consumption of current from the automobile battery.

The lever 14 is preferably of such length and weight as to maintain the heater proper '60 in raised position against the bottom of the crank case, although of course friction or other means may be provided for positively holding the post 6 in the desired raised position. Y

In the form of the invention illustrated the portion in the base.rv The cylindrical heater casing 9y may also be quickly removed and the reflector tilted to a desired position for directing heat rays for domestic purposes. Viith the handle and shallow heater casing removed my device constitutes an ornate reflector heater which maybe utilized in 'the household.

- vlt will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, proportions and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the scope of Vmy invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects.k

abovevset forth and in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims. V

It will further be understood that lmy invention may be applied to various uses inv addition to those specically enumerated herein.V For instance, it might be clamped against the lower tank of an automobile radiator or utilized to prevent liquidfrom freezing in a tank disposed above the level of the ground or floor or due to the heat directional Vpropertiesof the reiiector it may be used to concentrate radiationy of heat desired object. i

What is claimed is l. In a heaterof the class described, a base or support adapted to rest on the ground, a heater casing having an open outer side, said casing Vbeing connected with said base for limited rectilinear vertical movement relatively thereto, a heating element in said casing, said casing havingl an edge adapted to project upwardly and engage the lower portion of an automobile crank case and a handle fulcrumed in said support by which the support and casing may be shifted in any direction to position them below said crank case, said handle being further connected with said casing to raise the same against the bottom of said crank case and of suiiicient Y up on any n length to project outwardly towards the side of the automobile for convenient manipulation. v

2.` In a heater of the class described, a portable base, a supporting Velement slidably connected with said base for klimited vertical movement, a heater casing connectedwith the upper end vof said Vsupporting element having an open outer side, a heating element lin said casing and an elongated lever fulcrumed in said base with Vits working end connected with said supporting element for elevating the same and also constituting a handle tor manipulating said base from a remote point7 the length and mass distribution of said handle being such that its moment arm about the tulcrum is sufficient to hold the supporting element and the casing in elevated position.

3. In a heater of the class described, a portable base having an upstanding tubular portion, a supporting post slidably mounted in said tubular portion for limited vertical movement relatively to said base, a heater casing mounted upon the upper end of said post and an elongated lever fulcrumed in said base and having a working end positioned below said post for elevating the same with said heater from a removed point.

t. n a heater of the class described, a portable base having a short upright standard, a reflector mounted in said standard for limited vertical sliding movement, means for swingably adjusting said reflector upon a. horizontal axis through such a range that the reflector may face either horizontallyT or upwardly, a heating element mounted Within said reflector and an elongated lever fulcrumed in said base and detachably connect ed therewith for raising said reflector from a point removed from said base.

5. n a heater of the class described, a portable base having a short upright standard, a supporting post slidably mounted on said standard for limited vertical sliding movement, a heater casing attached to the upper end of said post, said casing having an open out-er side adapted to face upwardly and enage a portion of an automobile crank case, heating element mounted within said casing, said base having a recess extending therein adjacent the lower end of said post, an elongated handle in the form of a lever ulcrumed in the recessed portion of the base with its inner end underlying said post, said handle normally extending substantially radially from the axis of said base and inclined in an upward direction and constructed and positioned for manipulating and positioning said base from a remote point, as well as for elevating said heater casing to raise the same against the bottom of said crank case.

6. rEhe structure set forth in claim 5 Wherein said heater casing is swingably mounted upon the upper end of said post and wherein said elongated handle is quickly detachable from said base.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature.

AXEL M. PETERSON. 

